Hamlin strong again, but this time a penalty proves costly
AVONDALE, Ariz. – The frustration is mounting for Denny Hamlin even though the finishes haven’t been all that bad.
For the third consecutive “car of tomorrow” race, Denny Hamlin showed his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team was among the best in the field, but failed to turn that into victory.
Denny Hamlin led 70 laps in Saturday night’s Subway 500 at Phoenix International Raceway and ran down pole-winner Jeff Gordon early in the race. But a speeding penalty during pit stops on Lap 100 sent Denny Hamlin to the rear of the field.
Asked if he thought the speeding penalty was a borderline call, he said, “By the rules, it’s black and white, but you know I’ve been caught speeding on pit road one time - in my career.”
He eventually made his way back to finish third, but was visibly upset with the circumstances surrounding the run.
“It just seems like we can’t get a break, one way or another,” said Denny Hamlin, who remains fifth in series points in his sophomore season. “Nothing seems to go our way, and it’s just disheartening to have such a good car and just can’t do anything with it.”
It has become a familiar scenario.
In the first “car of tomorrow” race at Bristol, Tenn., Denny Hamlin contended for the win virtually the entire day only to see a fuel pump problem relegate him to a 14th-place finish. The next race at Martinsville, Va., Denny Hamlin started from the pole and led the first 40 laps, but loose lug nuts on a pit stop sent him to the back and he rallied for a third-place finish.
“I’m just kind of tired of battling back every single week to whatever finish,” he said. “You know, I wish nothing would happen. I just wish we could go an entire race without having problems.”
While Hendrick Motorsports has found victory in each of the three races using the “car of tomorrow” so far this season, Denny Hamlin has been left wondering, “What if?”
“We should have three trophies at Gibbs right now,” he said. “My credit goes to Hendrick. Those guys capitalize. They do what they have got to do to win races.
“They catch breaks when they need them, and we just can’t seem to do that.”
